Shocking statistics in today's paper. According to the Texas Department of Transportation: 2008 fatalities and incapacitating injuries, Motorcyclists: 536 fatalities, 2477 incapacitating injuries.

In my own county there were 32 fatalities and 131 incapacitating injuries which is actually less than I expected because it seems like at least one fatality every week. It also seems like drivers that state that they did not see the motorcycle are never charged or even cited.

Ride safe and defensively.

 

shocking

 

Seems like more this year than last year- scary stuff.

 

536 Motorcyclist killed in one year and in one state is beyond shocking.

 

I went to the TXDOT web site and they reported for 2007: 404 fatalities including 22 passengers. 2008 is about a 33% increase. I have a hard time believing these numbers. The 2008 numbers posted at the beginning of this thread are preliminary numbers. Hell, there may be more. Very sad.

 

Any chance they could be politically driven numbers for an end purpose?

 

I wonder, what is considered a "motorcycle"?

In my area scooters have become very common. Between last years $4.00 a gallon gas and the fact that NC doesn't require a license for them (DUI suspensions as well) scooters are everywhere.

I wonder if they count as a motorcycle as well.

 

Those numbers seem very high. What is the automobile numbers?

 

Regardless 1 is really too many.

 

Aside from estimates that mile for mile we are 37 times as likely to be killed on a bike than as a passenger in a car, there's that personal freedom issue of riding w/o a helmet in Texas.

If you ride in the wind you must accept the risks that come with it. Everytime I read the threads or news stories of this or that biker taking the last ride it makes me stop and think about why the wife and I continue to ride. Could one or both of us be in the news tomorrow?

Makes me think I need to stop reading all this negative chit about bikers going down........ and just enjoy riding